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Netflix misses the point of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, announces Roald Dahl reality contest The Golden Ticket

Willy Wonka would be rolling in his great glass elevator to see his series of chocolate-themed morality lessons transformed into a reality show

If there’s one takeaway from Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, it’s discovering the value of competition and trying to outdo your fellow man in the name of individual success, even if it means — wait, what’s that? That’s… actually the opposite of what the book is about, and everyone who displays selfish tendencies tends to meet an unpleasant candy-coated fate? Someone needs to get this information to Netflix immediately, then, because the streamer has just announced a new reality show based on the beloved kids’ book, titled The Golden Ticket.

The show, which will be produced for Netflix by Eureka Productions — the same production company that gave the world The Mole and TwentySomethings Austin —will “combine elements of strategy, adventure, and social dynamics, as contestants seek to gain entry to a ‘retro-futuristic’ chocolate factory,” according to reports, before facing additional challenges inside the factory setting itself. You know, just like Willy Wonka himself intended.

“We are thrilled to bring the magic of The Chocolate Factory to life like never before,” VP of Unscripted at Netflix Jeff Gaspin said in a statement. “This one-of-a-kind reality competition blends adventure, strategy and social dynamics, creating an experience that is as captivating as it is unpredictable. For the first time, a lucky few won’t just have to imagine the experience — they’ll get to step inside the factory and live it.”

This is all happening not just because Netflix has found success in the past with this kind of competition setting — remember Squid Game: The Challenge? — but also because the company purchased the Roald Dahl Story Company in 2021, including rights to the author’s complete back catalog, with the exception of pre-existing deals. (For example, Warner Bros has movie rights to Willy Wonka, which is where 2023’s Timothée Chalamet vehicle Wonka came from.)

Assuming The Golden Ticket is successful, what’s next? A Ghost Hunters-esque reality series based around Matilda? A cooking competition centered around James and the Giant Peach? The sky’s the limit, Netflix — dare to dream, and who cares if the original message of the source material is lost in the process?!?

Casting for The Golden Ticket is currently open.


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Graeme McMillan

Graeme McMillan: Popverse Editor Graeme McMillan (he/him) has been writing about comics, culture, and comics culture on the internet for close to two decades at this point, which is terrifying to admit. He completely understands if you have problems understanding his accent.

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